On the Subject of Loving
by Princess Hannah
Summary: Notes on a romance. Archie and Maxie reflect on what they see in each other. General tooth-rotting fluff.


Archie loved Maxie.

He loved Maxie's warm body, a veritable furnace on those colder nights when the wind was howling and the sun seemed a galaxy away, but why should Archie need the sun when he had one right here? He loved Maxie's singing voice, though Maxie was not fond of singing himself. That first night they had gone to karaoke together with their old admins, Archie had sung "Don't Stop Me Now" and knew he sounded abysmal but didn't care because, as the song went, he was having such a good time. Then Maxie had risen, after a bit of coaxing, and sang "Desperado" with the voice of angels. He loved that Maxie had returned from the stage and went immediately to the songbook to try something else. He loved watching Maxie read, something at once relaxing and inspiring to see someone so absorbed in their material. Mostly nonfiction, with the occasional adventure story thrown in. He loved that Maxie had accepted his joke gift of _20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_ and actually read it, calling it "quite stimulating." He loved watching Maxie with his Pokémon, the first time Archie had ever seen Maxie drop his stoic demeanor in favor of actually having proper fun. He loved the way Maxie would sometimes fall asleep curled up against his Camerupt, and Archie would have to decide whether to just let him be and bring him a blanket or carry him to bed. He loved listening to Maxie talk, that fiery passion about the direction Team Magma was going next, idle musings about the nature of the world, and if Archie was really lucky, the occasional joke. He loved Maxie's hands that held his, soft but strong from years of writing. He loved the way Maxie pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose every so often. But most of all, he loved that Maxie was full of surprises. It seemed like every day Archie discovered something new to love about him. Sometimes it would be a kiss with a different flavored lip balm, sometimes it would be a small gift for some minor occasion like "it's a full moon tonight" or "it's our thirty-five-week anniversary," sometimes it was something new in the bedroom. One time Maxie had come home with the regular groceries and a can of whipped cream, shooting Archie a devious look and saying, "imagine the possibilities." Archie loved Maxie.

And Maxie loved Archie.

He loved Archie's intuition, how he was able to sense just about everything. He could always tell when Maxie was upset and offered to give him space or give him attention. He loved Archie's magnificent skills in the kitchen, able to whip up culinary masterpieces in expert fashion. He'd lost count of the number of times he had arrived home and found a special meal waiting "just because." He loved Archie's laughter, once a scourge to his ears in their old days, but now admired as being so full of energy and life. He loved watching Archie swim, so powerful and majestic and almost peaceful to watch, taking comfort in seeing a man so in his element. He loved when Archie held him at night, especially on those dark nights when the nightmares returned, the visions of the sky on fire and burning the flesh from Maxie's bones. He loved that Archie smiled at just about everything, while Maxie saved his own smiles for special occasions. He loved watching Archie try his hand at poetry, always resulting in sappy rhyming couplets that made Maxie laugh. He loved that Archie was a good listener, that he could talk to him about anything. They had spent one night confessing their deepest fears and didn't sleep until the sun rose. He loved Archie's dreams of adventure, that he knew there was a big wide Pokémon world out there and he wanted to see it all someday. They were already planning a trip out to Kalos, and Maxie could tell whenever Archie was thinking about it because his eyes would suddenly light up. Speaking of which, he loved Archie's eyes, deep grey and always twinkling with the wisdom and power of the open seas. But most of all, he loved that Archie was brilliant. He was an equal and made Maxie feel less alone, and they made each other feel like their lives were worth living. Maxie loved Archie.


End file.
